Car catches fire after pole falls during accident; driver charged

HENRICO, Va.- Neighbors around Laburnum Avenue and Nine Mile Road reported hearing ‘booming’ noises on Friday night, from what they believed to be a strong storm. However, Police ended up blocking off that area for several hours Friday night after a power line fell on a vehicle after an accident.

After neighbors reported hearing several booms along Nine Mile and Laburnum, police responded to the accident about 8:14 p.m. When they arrived they found a two- car collision. Officers say that one car hit a utility pole, causing the pole to fall on a third vehicle. The car caught fire after live wires fell from the pole.

Stephanie Lassiter is a clerk at the Family Dollar in the area. Lassiter witnessed the bizarre crash, making it anything but a normal Friday night at the store.

“The wires fell on the car, which immediately went up in flames,” Lassiter said. “We went and checked on people to see if they needed anything.”

Businesses and residents in the area were without power after the incident. The area was closed for more than 12 hours as crews worked on restoring power and cleaning up the scene.

Two people suffered non-life threatening injuries and were taken to an area hospital.

Evon Nichole Holloway was charged with DUI. This is her second offense within five years, according to police.